Our Separate Ways
by Succotash
Summary: Two days after the end of the 2009 anime, a mysterious boy with blonde hair in a red coat terrorizes North City. This story follows three OC's as they track down this boy in a red cape. Oh, and Ed is there too. Please comment, critique, or whatever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own, nor do I pretend to own, Fullmetal Alchemist.

Part I: Iced Over

Major Knight Kennedy stood, brushing the dust off his military overcoat and looking up at the towering inferno that rose above North City's only oil refinery. A few of his White clad soldiers scrambled around trying to find a suspect. The pungent smell of burning oil filled Kennedy's nostrils.

"Damnit! This is the third time this week, why can't we find this guy?" Kennedy yelled at one of his soldiers. He stroked the peach-fuzz on his sharp chin and thought. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of light drew his attention. He drew his pistol and gave chase. Waves of his men poured over the streets while Kennedy darted across the narrow snow-crested rooftops of North City's trade district in pursuit of a fleeing man. He could see the culprit clearly now. A small boy, not even eighteen, with long blond hair and a red jacket.

"You, stop! Your under arrest you punk!" Kennedy lowered his head and drew his knife from his shoulder holster. He plunged the knife into the snow and looked at his target with a look of murderous intent. Rivers of steel erupted from the rooftops and surged after the fleeing criminal. Without so much as flinching, his target spun around and slammed the ground with his open hand. Kennedy's steel tide rocketed towards the young man. The boy's hand crackled with lightning as three stone pillars exploded from the frozen streets beside them. Kennedy dove to the side quickly, but so did the boy. He quickly leapt onto his steel tendrils and sprinted full speed towards the boy. Kennedy had apparently caught the kid off guard and dug his serrated blade into the perpetrator's right arm. He smiled, expecting the sinister crack of cold steel meeting soft flesh, but instead, he saw the boy smiling. Kennedy grimaced as he heard the vinyl scratch of steel meeting steel. He jumped back as the boy produced a large rock wall between them, and vanished in a cloud of snow.

"Damnit! You coward! Come out here and fight! Ahhhhh!" Kennedy shouted into the wind. It had started to pick up, and a blizzard was undoubtedly coming this way. He turned and saw a few soldiers staring at him from below.

"Sir, the Lieutenant-General wishes for you to return to command at once!" The first soldier said as he snapped to attention. Kennedy waived them off. Great, he thought, The General is going to kill me if I let this punk get away again. This cat's out of lives.

He returned to a car waiting for him in front of the now smoldering oil refinery. He opened the door of the car to see a friendly face. A heavyset man in pressed uniform with buzzed black hair and a cleft chin. The man adjusted his glasses and smiled at Kennedy.

"Major Kennedy, your late. And," he added with a sigh, "you are once again empty-handed. To be honest Major, if I had the authority, I'd send the General down here myself to finish this job. I'm sure things would be so much better if-"

"Colonel Pollox, sir, I'm sorry for the interruption, but neither myself nor the General are interested in what you would do 'if you had the authority'. Perhaps you would like to chase this lunatic through the frigid cold and blinding snow on your own, with no certainty of whether or not you'll make it back or not. When you drag your sorry ass out of that car and stick your neck out for this country, then you can tell me I'm doing a bad job. Until then, sir, please shut up and take me back to command."

Kennedy smirked. Checkmate, you bloated idiot. He complacently took his place next to the dumbfounded Colonel and began cleaning his knife. His fingers moved gently over the transmutation circle engraved on it's blade, he could see Colonel Pollox eyeing his knife too. It's ornate carving was his father's work. The day Kennedy pried this knife from his father's dead hands was the day he had learned of his talents as an alchemist. His father had been shot in the chest by an Ishvalan sniper while trying to resuscitate a dying comrade. Kennedy watched as his father's lifeless body fell to the ground. He was nineteen years old, and his father was 31.

"Major," Pollox said after a while, "If you don't mind me asking, where did you get that knife? Was it a gift or-"

"It was my father's sir. That's all I'm going to say about it," Kennedy replied with a grim look on his face.

"Well," Pollox said shrugged, "You don't need to be such a slouch about it. Lighten up. You can't keep repressing your feelings. It's not healthy." there was a long pause.

"We're here sirs." the driver said.

Kennedy got out of the car and scratched his short brown hair. He saw Pollox adjust his tie and slowly climbed the icy steps towards the Northern Command Centre. Warm air splashed over Kennedy as he stepped into the foyer. The center was alive with activity. Soldiers in bright blue uniforms bustled about the office with forms and papers, the kind of things Kennedy had never bothered with. His personal assistant Lieutenant Shelt waved as he walked by.

"Oh, Major Kennedy? You have someone in your office that needs to see you." she said with her usual uninterested smile.

"Thanks, beautiful," he said with a similar smile, he pulled a cigarette pack from his bandolier and lit it, "Tell them I'll see them in a minute. I have a meeting with the General."Shelt looked a little surprised.

"With the General? Good luck sir."

Kennedy smiled again, this time however a bit more concerned. He and the other staff members at Northern Command knew very well that most people didn't leave the General's office in a good mood. He stood in front of the doors to the office and took a deep breath. He pushed on the heavy steel doors and a chill shot up his spine. The door's metal surface was freezing cold. If it weren't for Kennedy's gloves, he was sure his hands would have frozen to the door.

He entered the office, and immediately the thick haze of his breath and cigarette smoke blurred his vision. As the fog cleared, he saw the General, seated across the room, looking out the window.

"Major Kennedy."

"Yes sir?"

"I've been told that you let our suspect escape again. Is this true?"

"Sir, I didn't-"

"I asked you if that was the truth Major," The General said, turning to face Kennedy, "Now is it, or is it not?"

He looked into The General's deep purple eyes. Major Kennedy had only seen the General's face once before, when he had just been transferred from South City. The General had greeted him warmly, and had personally shown him his office and living quarters. Since then, he hadn't seen The General in almost a year. All of his orders had been given to him by one of The General's assistants. His eyes quickly darted to the floor.

"It's true sir. My men and I could not apprehend the culprit." He looked back at The General.

"That's unfortunate. Maybe I'll have to oversee the next operation myself. Would you like that Major?"

Kennedy was a bit surprised by this question. A higher-up had never asked him how he felt before. He wasn't sure if there was a right way to answer her.

"Well sir, I don't think I would like that."

The General's eyebrows rose slightly. Kennedy continued," I think that it's two things; first, it's an indication that you have no faith in your most capable soldiers, and second, it shows that you have far too much confidence in your own abilities."

"Hmph. Well Major, anywhere else in the world, I'd have you killed for such an insubordinate answer. But here, I feel like you've almost hit the nail on the head, but your answer isn't entirely right. I _do_ have little faith in you, but I am very well aware of what I can and can't do."

Kennedy dropped his cigarette.

"Well, Major? Are you going to say anything, because if you're not-" The doors burst open. A winded Colonel Pollox Entered the room and caught his breath, gorging himself on the precious oxygen like it was his first breath.

"General! General!" he managed to wheeze, "General Rockbell! There's been-There's been a development."

The general whirled around and glared at the red-faced colonel. Pollox flinched and Kennedy quickly stamped out his cigarette. The General's eyes pierced through Pollox like purple spears. The bloated colonel backed up into a corner as the General neared him.

"What do you mean a development?" The general asked, grabbing Pollox by the collar. Pollox's cloud of cold breath blanketed the General's face.

"Our detectives spotted your culprit getting on a train headed for East City! Please don't hurt me!" Pollox collapsed in a heap.

"Major, get Pollox to an infirmary for his inhaler, then meet me at the train station. We're getting this bastard together, understood?"

"Yes sir. I'll see you then." Kennedy left the General alone in the cold office. Lieutenant-General Delilah Rockbell sat down in her chair and popped a Mihimano chocolate candy in her mouth. She looked over one of the papers Pollox had left on her desk. It was an artist rendition of the terrorist who attacked the refinery. She recoiled a bit.

"I know this kid, it's Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Son of a bitch..." she said to no one. She hung her head and ate another candy. With that, General Rockbell left her office with a bag if her favorite chocolate candies in one hand, and a silver pocket watch marred with scratches in the other.

Major Kennedy and Colonel Pollox stood at the platform of North Station dressed in suits that clearly did not fit them. Kennedy tugged at his grey necktie that was slowly strangling him to death while Pollox did all he could to keep his pants from ripping.

"Why do we have to dress like this? It's not like anyone will recognize me-" Pollox began.

"-That kid saw me quite clearly. If he sees three people in military garb holding wanted posters with his face slapped on the front, he'll notice us and try to run," Kennedy said while lighting a cigarette, "If Delilah wants to personally oversee this mission I'm not taking any chances."

"What did you just call me Major?" Kennedy's heart sank. How long had she been there?

"Uh...General, I Uh..." he snapped to attention. The General forcefully laid an open palm across Kennedy's face. He clutched his face in pain.

"Don't salute me you morons," she barked, looking at Pollox whose sweaty hand was still pressed against his forehead.

"We're going under the radar. Not even Führer Grumman knows we're leaving. The last thing we want someone to recognize us as soldiers. And I'm sorry about these clothes. I'm sure you feel about as comfortable as I do right now."

Kennedy eyed over The General. She wore a rather unprofessional black dress. It contoured to her every curve and her long blond hair danced playfully upon her shoulders... Kennedy flinched. How long had he been staring at the General? It's at least 30 degrees in here, how is she wearing a dress?

"Alright Pollox, I'll need those tickets. Kennedy, do you have my pocket book?" Coded message, he thought. He felt the inside of his jacket for the pistol shaped lump in his pocket and pretended to tie his shoe to feel his knife tucked neatly in his sock. He gave the General a nod. Pollox fumbled around in his pockets for three train tickets, which he proudly presented to the General. The trio climbed aboard the train and sat down at a small table. The General lowered her head and closed her eyes. Kennedy lit a cigarette and looked out the window. The train was moving now, and the snow-white countryside slowly faded into green pastures and small towns. Kennedy had never been to the East before, but he had always imagined it to be something like this.

"I need a drink. I'll be back." The General got up and walked to the bar at the rear of the car. Kennedy tapped his cigarette into an ashtray and leaned closer to Pollox.

"So, Colonel," he said leaning even closer to the Colonel, "What can you tell me about the General?" Pollox chuckled to himself and adjusted his glasses.

"Trying to figure General Rockbell out, eh? Well let me tell you Major, I know a lot more about the General than anyone back at command. Not even her staff could tell you some of the things that I have found rooting around in her personal files. However, Major, this is information is pretty exclusive. For one thing, the General is a-a, a very nice woman." He said smiling at someone over Kennedy's shoulder.

The General sat down with a glass of pale brown liquor. Pollox looked anxiously at General Rockbell, then to Kennedy. He took another puff of his cigarette and turned over Pollox's words in his head. A nice lady? Probably code. He had heard that code before, from his C.O at South Command. He had called General Mustang a very nice lady. He hadn't thought about it too hard then, but now...

An alchemist! General Mustang was an alchemist, and that means Pollox knew that General Rockbell was an alchemist too. How long was she going to keep us in the dark about this?

"What did you say, Pollox? Something about me being nice? Wouldn't want any rumors to spread that I'm being nice to you guys." she smiled. Had she heard Pollox's message too? Kennedy hoped not. But it was strange, why would General Rockbell keep that a secret from her men?

Kennedy let out a sigh and put out his cigarette. The train slowed to a stop and the passengers disembarked. Pollox, Kennedy, and General Rockbell stepped out into the warm glow of the midday sun. Pollox squinted and scanned the platform for any signs of Elric.

"I can't see a damn thing," he said definitively, "We should start asking around. I bet he's pretty well known in his home town."

Kennedy nodded. Pollox handed him a wanted poster with a sneering portrait of Edward Elric plastered on the front. For the next hour, Pollox and Kennedy visited Homes and shops in search for Elric. Most people said that they hadn't seen Edward in some time.

"Dead ends. No one's seen Elric. Are you sure he got on this train Pollox?" Kennedy and Pollox were now seated at a bar on the limits of town. Pollox sipped on a glass of water while Kennedy lit a cigarette and sipped a beer.

"I'm certain Major," he paused "But I'm not certain where General Rockbell has gone off to."

"Excuse me," asked the bartender, "But did you say Rockbell? The Rockbell Auto-Mail outfitters is right up that hill over there." he said pointing to a small two story house alone on a hill. Kennedy and Pollox exchanged glances, paid for their drinks and left. Sure enough, a sign that read "Rockbell Auto-Mail" sat outside the house perched on a small hill. General Rockbell stood on the porch, with one hand resting on the door.

"Uh, sir? How long have you been standing there?" Kennedy asked. General Rockbell didn't answer. After a few minutes, she knocked twice on the door and waited. The door creaked open and a small old woman squinted in the midday sun.

"How can I help you? Do you need a tune-up? You don't look like-" she paused, "Oh my god."

The elderly woman motioned for The General to enter. Pollox and Kennedy approached the porch as the door closed in front of them. They peered into the window to see the elderly woman preparing tea. The General sat down with her back to the window, and appeared to be engaged in a jovial conversation, as if the two had known each other for a very long time. The grandmotherly figure reached for something in her sleeve. Knight's eyes widened as the woman glared at The General and continued to remove a weapon from her sleeve.

Kennedy burst through the door with his pistol drawn. The old woman dropped her weapon and The General pulled her one pistol and pointed it straight at his head.

"Major Kennedy? What the hell are you doing? Pulling a gun on my-" General Rockbell began. Before she could finish, the elderly woman pulled her weapon from her sleeve and struck General Rockbell on the back of the head. Kennedy fired off two shots, splintering the old woman's wooden spoon. The General's fist collided with Kennedy's face at an alarming speed. Kennedy collapsed in a corner and licked his wounds.

"You idiot! How dare you fire a weapon at Pinako! You should be ashamed of yourself! The nerve! Grandmother, are you okay?"

Kennedy remained in the corner, rubbing the spot on his face where the General's fist had made a dark red mark. He looked at the frail old woman, then at The General, then back to the old woman. He chuckled and pointed to Pinako.

"Wait, that woman is your grandmother? You look nothing alike!"

"And just who do you think you are?" the old woman shouted at the wounded Kennedy, "You barge into my house, point a gun at me, break my only beating spoon and then have the nerve to say I look nothing like my grandchildren? You soldiers are all alike." She turned to General Rockbell, "Are you okay sweetie? I hope your bastard Major didn't hurt you."

"Ugh. Major Kennedy, this is my grandmother, Pinako Rockbell. Grandma, this is Major Knight Kennedy. And that person cowering outside the window is Colonel Lionel Pollox."

Pollox's sweaty forehead emerged from the door. He smiled awkwardly at Pinako and then went back to the porch. The room simmered down after a while. Kennedy sat down and sipped some tea, while General Rockbell and Pinako continued talking.

"So grandma, why did you hit me with a spoon?"

"You haven't called in almost 10 years, Delilah. I was starting to worry about you. I mean. I know it's foolish to hope that you'd make it back home when you joined the military and all. Your parents wrote to me when they found that you had joined and- they were mortified. They couldn't stand to see you die before they did. But I guess..." she faltered. General Rockbell closed her eyes. After a few minutes, the General spoke up.

"Where's Winry? I haven't seen her since her fourth birthday. I bet she's grown up, and I can't wait to see her."

General Rockbell touched the piercings in her right ear. There were five, three deep purple studs and two rings, made by her mother before she left for Ishval. Their mother had made four for Winry too. Before she left to follow her parents to Ishval, General Rockbell had been so close to Winry that it seemed almost too hard to say goodbye.

"Winry isn't here. She went out to Drexel for some new ratchet heads. She'll be back tomorrow. Till then, you can keep yourself occupied in town. I'm sure they could use a hand with the new government offices."

"Government offices?" Kennedy perked up.

"Yes. Führer Grumman decided to put officers in most of the major cities in Amestris. We can visit them for loans, for settling disputes or just griping to the military I guess."

General Rockbell smiled. It had been so long since she had actually spoken to Pinako, that she missed those conversations. She thought about what her grandmother had said about her and her parents. Kennedy rose and walked to the door.

"Thank you Ms. Rockbell. The tea was great. And I'm sorry for, uh, shooting at you." he turned to the General, "General, I'll be staying at the inn at the bottom of the hill. The room is under the name 'Oswalt'. Later." Kennedy waved as he walked away.

"Oh my Delilah, he is a nice man, he'll make a great husband." Pinako said with a wide smile.

"Grandma he and I- We wouldn't- No! No way. Please, I would never fall for a guy like him. Never."

Kennedy laughed. Delilah was so different around Pinako. He had never seen anyone make The General cringe like that. On the other hand, he did like the thought of getting hitched...


	2. Chapter 2

Part II: Cold Shoulder

Pinako Rockbell sat down across from her granddaughter Winry and sipped some of her green tea. Winry clutched the cup in her hands, looking at her reflection in the murky beverage.

"Winry, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about your sister. You parents and I both decided that if they-" she paused, "if your parents died, they couldn't put you through the pain of losing another person to that damn Ishvalan conflict. We just didn't want you to know. Please try to understand."

"I understand." Winry said without looking up from her tea. Pinako could sense that Winry was suppressing her feelings. Ever since Ed left, she had made it a point to save all her tears for when he returned.

"Winry, you can tell me what your feeling. It's alright open up to me-"

"How?" was all Winry managed to say as she tried to stifle her tears. Pinako placed a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder. Winry had grown so much in the last few years. She was starting to look like her mother, like Delilah.

"How could you think that it was okay to deprive a little girl of her older sister? How could you? Huh? Answer me! I had nothing when mom and dad died, and you hid the only person who I could confide in from me?"

"Don't be such a fool! Your sister joined the military knowing full well that she was expected to kill and die for her country! In the event that she did die, we didn't want you to have to lose everything at once. Please understand Winry."

Winry burst into tears. The wet droplets of sorrow splashed into her teacup, still full of the herbal liquid. Her grandmother thought it would be best for her to be left alone, and left the small kitchen.

Winry got up and slowly walked to the door. As she walked through the doorstep, she overheard a few people talking loudly down the road. A group of four men sat leaning up against

"Did you see that pretty blonde staying at the Roadhouse? Man she is a catch eh?" asked one.

"Man, I did see her. If you ask me Bruce, she looks like she could tear me in half." said another. The four men laughed, joked, and clanged their beer glasses together.

"You know," said Bruce, "I think I'm going to ask her to dance." This comment really riled the group up. The stumbled back to the inn in a drunken stupor. Winry followed closely behind, chuckling quietly to herself. She passed the drunkards and knocked on the door where her sister was staying.

The four men arrived at the door and began singing their sweet praises of love to General Rockbell. Winry found a little humor in the drunken ramblings of the four lovebirds. After a while, the men left and General Rockbell opened the door to her room.

"Thank you, little sister, for that beautiful serenade. I was moved." She smiled and motioned for Winry to enter. They sat on two small beds facing each other in the cramped corner room.

"Well Winry, go ahead and ask me anything. I owe you so much. I feel like the least I can do is answer some of your questions." Winry looked a little surprised. She lowered her head and spoke slowly.

"What made you come back?"

"Well I-"

"Because you seemed so eager to leave twelve years ago, I imagine whatever it was that cut your leash from the military and made you run back here like a feverish hell hound must have-must have..." Winry collapsed into Delilah's arms. She was crying.

"Winry. Listen to me. I don't know how Pinako raised you, but I won't tolerate one of my soldiers going soft on me," Winry lifted her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks and stained her jacket.

"A soldier never cries Winry. Do you know why? A soldier never cries in order to save her tears for her family, for when she returns from the frontlines,.ou have every right to be mad at me, to hate me, and to cry for me. But there's something I need to ask you." Winry sniffled a little and raised her head. She had stopped crying now.

"Where is Edward Elric?" Winry looked shocked. She wasn't entirely sure how to answer her question.

"Ed left Amestris a few days ago. He went West to study alchemy in Creta and Pelopos, he hasn't called since he left. Why? Is he in trouble or something?" Winry asked. She made it sound like a joke, but General Rockbell could sense a hint of legitimate concern in her voice.

"You know Winry, that's why I came back to Resembool. I have a warrant for his arrest. Well, Edward has been busy in North City. Last week, someone with long blonde hair, white gloves, and a red jacket set fire to our arms depot and burnt it to the ground. Four days ago, he destroyed a military hospital near Fort Briggs housing injured soldiers from the Drachma border skirmishes. Yesterday, the same person destroyed the city's only oil refinery. One of my soldiers, Major Kennedy, gave chase, and based off his recollection, we came up with this."

General Rockbell handed her sister a wanted poster. Winry looked in utter disbelief at the sneering face of Edward Elric. Her fingers clutched and she narrowed her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was definitely Ed, but she knew it wasn't. Without looking at her sister, Winry tore the poster in half.

"That's not Ed. I don't believe you. That's not the kind of thing Ed would do. He can't even do alchemy anymore."

"What? What do you mean 'he can't do alchemy anymore'? He has used alchemy to escape us every time. How is that?" General Rockbell asked. She was looking intently into Winry's eyes. She had always been told that there was something about her eyes that gave her an intimidating presence. Winry looked back at her.

"When he tried human transmutation he sacrificed his ability to use alchemy, to save his brother Alphonse's body from something they called the-"

"The Truth," General Rockbell finished. Winry looked a little surprised.

"What aren't you telling me, sis?" she sounded a little worried. The last thing General Rockbell wanted was for Winry to cry when she heard the truth.

"Winry, there's a lot I'm not telling you, but for good reason. Perhaps Major Kennedy would like to explain why that is." She said flinging open the door to her room. Sure enough there, crouched in the hallway, was Kennedy. He fell on his back and scurried up against the nearby wall. He couldn't see the General's face, but he assumed that was best.

"MAJOR KENNEDY! Get off your ass right now and tell me why you were listening to our conversation! That's an order!" Kennedy rose slowly and shakily stood at attention. He waited a few seconds before saying something.

"Sir, I can't say because I don't know sir. From what I've gathered, I'd say that you're hiding things from your subordinates, like the fact that you are a State Alchemist, specifically the Frostbite Alchemist. Is my intelligence correct sir?"

General Rockbell looked back at Winry, who seemed to be processing what Kennedy had just said. Delilah stared straight at the floor, feeling that it would be best to stay quiet.

"Delilah?" Winry asked. She was now standing in the door behind The General. Tears had begun to well in the corner of her eyes and she was pointing to her sister, "You were a State Alchemist? In the Ishvalan War? Did you kill those innocent people? Well, did you? Tell me!"

General Rockbell said nothing. She was a State Alchemist, she had been to Ishval, and she had taken the lives of innocent men. Major Kennedy took a cautious step back into the hall. Winry's tears splashed the ground at her sister's feet, slipping through the spaces in the floorboards. General Rockbell stood still for a long time, thinking, calculating, and choosing her words carefully. When he finally did speak, she spoke quietly. She was almost whispering.

"What the Major said is true. I am the Frostbite Alchemist. I served in Ishval, and I looked into the eyes of the people I killed. Have you ever killed someone Winry? Or you Major? You're a State Alchemist too, right? Have you ever killed a person who had begged you not to? There's a reason that I hid the truth from you people for so long. Soldiers don't like serving a cold-blooded killer. A friend told me that some time ago. It's good advice. Well, I'm leaving. Goodbye Winry. Tell Pinako I said thank you." She turned to Major Kennedy, "Let's go. We'll have a talk with Pollox on our train to Creta."

Kennedy looked surprised, but kept his thoughts to himself. He followed the General out of the inn and started to walk out the door. As he began to turn the doorknob, a hand rested upon his shoulder. It was Winry, with a look of determinate anger on her face.

"Well, I hope you're happy. My sister, that I had no memory of for most of my life returns after eight years, and she leaves because you called her a murderer and a liar. At first I thought you were nuts, but then, you have the gall to force her to admit that she murdered innocent people and lied to me, to grandma, and to the Amestrian people, what is wrong with you?"

"I-I uh, look kid, I'm-"

"Sorry, let me guess. You're sorry. That's not good enough anymore. Tell my sister that if I ever see her again… I don't know what I'll do. Goodbye." Winry left and Major Kennedy stepped out into the cloudy night. He could see General Rockbell in the distance with Colonel Pollox slung over her shoulder. He caught up with her at the dimly lit platform.

"Sir, I didn't know what I was doing back there, I'm sorry that your sister had to hear that. But did you really do any of that? In Ishval?" He asked looking at her.

"Major, every word I said in there was true. It was an awful, horrific war. But you know the worst part? They tried so hard to protect us, they surrounded us with body guards and snipers, that we became a bigger priority than the regular soildiers. Infantrymen were sent to the frontline like pigs to a slaughter while the State Alchemists watched. There was nothing we could do to help our comrades as they were torn apart by streams of lead. Blood pooled on the ground, spilling over curbs and trickling into streams. Some of Ishval's rivers turned red with blood." She looked back at him.

"Do you know how I killed people Major? Do you know why they called me the Frostbite Alchemist?" Kennedy shook his head.

"Human blood is comprised of about 52% fluid, called plasma. This plasma is 92% water. A skilled Alchemist could, with a discreetly hidden transmutation circle, manipulate the temperature of that water and freeze it. Blood flow stops, the extremities begin to lose heat, gangrene ensues, and the core temperature drops below critical. The heart stops beating and the lungs cease to function, but throughout this gruesome process, the brain is still conscious, feeling every sting, and feeling every artery clog with frozen blood. It's truly awful. But, there was something about those few months, I didn't see it as it was, I wasn't thinking about the havoc I was causing. The death just sort of flowed out of us, like an aura that followed State Alchemists wherever we went. This pocket watch," she said pulling her own silver watch from her pocket "was the mark of a murderer. If an Ishvalan so much as caught a glimpse of that silver chain in your pocket, they would turn and run, screaming for their friends to hide. They called us 'Denbal'. It's their word for monster. They called me 'Cusai', and to this day I still have no idea what it means. What I'm saying Kennedy is this, being a State Alchemist was something I wanted to forget. Don't go digging around in my time in Ishval, you won't like what you find."

She climbed on the train. Kennedy followed closely behind and sat down in the enclosed booth behind her. Pollox poured himself into the seat across from him and sipped a gin and tonic. He closed the door to his booth.

"Well Major, I honestly didn't think you would confront General Rockbell with that information. Yes, General Rockbell is the Frostbite Alchemist. But I'm afraid there's a lot more about her that you should know. For example, she left her-"

"You knew she would lose it when I mentioned Ishval to her, didn't you?" Kennedy interrupted. He glared at the pudgy Colonel until beads of sweat rolled from his forehead.

"I'm sorry for that Major, but I honestly didn't know General Rockbell was so sensitive about her service. I've known General Rockbell for quite some time, and in all my time profiling her; I've never once spoken to her about Ishval. But now I know that she would much rather forget that part of her life."

"You used me to build your 'profile' of the General? You forced her sister to forever see her as a murderer just so you could figure her out? What kind of sick game is that?" Pollox smiled and adjusted his glasses.

"We need to stop her, Major Kennedy." He said with a menacing grin on his face, "Before it's too late. General Rockbell is planning something, and I need your help to stop her. It's what your father would have wanted."

Kennedy recoiled a little. "What do you mean it's what my father wanted? Did he know of their plot or something? What are they planning anyway?"

"You see Major, when your father left for Ishval, he told me to keep an eye on you, to make sure you were safe while he was gone. He was a key informant of mine back then, and if there was one thing he hated, it was State Alchemists."

"What? But I'm-"

"He never knew you were a State Alchemist. All he knew was the destruction that those Alchemists, those monsters, were capable of. But you, Kennedy, you're different. You were never ordered to slaughter thousands like they were. You will be a catalyst for change, a new face opposing the use of Alchemy like it was used in Ishval. It is the belief of the entire Amestrian Parliament, and myself, that high-ranking alchemists like General Rockbell and General Mustang are conspiring to use Alchemy to annihilate those of us who are not alchemically inclined. But, you can help us, Major."

Kennedy looked at Pollox with an expression of utter confusion. Could he really believe that Amestris' alchemists were planning another coup? Führer Grumman wasn't an alchemist, and he had heard stories of Mustang's overzealous ambitions to hold the office. On top of that, General Rockbell's promotion was rather sudden and unannounced. Maybe there was some validity to what he was saying…

"Well," Kennedy said taking a puff from a freshly lit cigarette, "what's our first move?"

"I'm glad you asked. We need to lay low until the time is right. For now, we'll let the General pursue Elric, then remove her when we see fit. There's someone we'll need to find too, so we'll slowly make our way there. His name is Shea B. Widow, but you might know him as The Hurricane Alchemist."


	3. Chapter 3

Part III: The Grand Scheme of Things

The train screeched to a halt and 17 year-old Edward Elric stepped out of the passenger car and onto the noisy platform. He took a deep breath of Cretan air and lowered the brim of his hat. It had been a long time since Edward had traveled for so long by train and he was eager to get out of the station. As he emerged from the station and his train departed, he squinted in the sun to see the beautiful town square in front of him. Doltan, the town Edward would be staying in, was the largest city in Creta, even larger than the capital. The buildings were short and made of finely crafted uniform stone blocks, and the roads were paved in cobblestones. Horse drawn carriages clattered down the streets, vendors peddled their goods on the sides of the roads, and children chased pigeons by a grand fountain in the center of the square. It hardly looked like a country ravaged by a border war with Amestris. Edward immediately noticed an absence of any police officers near the entrance of the train station. He approached one of the street vendors, who was selling raincoats, and inquired about the address Lt. Havoc had given him.

"Garrison Boulevard? Yeah sure, it's right down there on the left," the storeowner said, "But what business do you have down there? Nothing but a bunch of old warehouses down that way."

"Well," Edward replied, "A friend told me I could find some answers there. Thanks mister."

"Hey kid, have I seen you somewhere before?"

"Probably not, I guess I just have one of those faces!" Edward added as he walked away towards Garrison Boulevard. The shopkeeper remained scratching his head, wondering who the boy with braided hair was. Edward continued to walk as the sun began to set. As it turns out, the elderly shopkeeper was right, Garrison Boulevard was a long, wide street lined with tin-roofed warehouses. A few peddlers huddled around fires for warmth, and rats scurried around overflowing garbage cans for a bite to eat.

"What kind of lead is this?" Edward asked no one, "Thanks a lot Havoc. I can see Mustang's face when he finds out I got lost in Creta without any-"

"Excuse me, but did you say that someone named Havoc gave you directions?" a little boy asked from somewhere behind Edward.

"Yeah," he replied skeptically, "Why do you know him?"

"You bet! Everyone on Garrison knows Uncle Havoc! Come on, I'll show you." The small child tugged on Edwards' coat and pulled him into a dark alleyway. A lantern hung above a doorway not far from the entrance to a small tavern. Above the door was a tattered sign that read "Havoc's" in blue, swirling around in a foaming pitcher of beer. The child knocked three times on the door and jiggled the handle twice. A slit in the door opened and a pair of eyes looked quickly between Edward and the boy.

"How's the water by the old creek?" The eyes asked.

"On Tuesdays? Pretty warm, I reckon." The boy replied with confidence. The slit slid shut and heavy deadbolts clunked and moved out of the way. The door slid open and the sounds of glasses clinking and music playing burst out of the small room. The boy walked in and Edward followed cautiously. The tiny hole in the wall was alive with dancing and jovial drinking chants.

"Well Mr. Elrich, welcome to Havoc's Pub and Tavern! It's our own little corner of paradise. That' the guy you probably want to talk to there, in the corner booth." The boy pointed to a man in a long coat seated at the end of the bar in a booth talking to a woman in a cloak. As Edward approached the booth, the woman in the cloak stood and walked to the bar. A trail of perfume lingered behind her as she passed by. Edward sworn he had smelt it before. He cautiously sat down across from the cloaked man.

"So, you're the one guy who can teach me Cretan alchemy?" he asked. The man in the cloak reached under the table and produced a manila envelope and slid it towards Edward. Edward noticed he was wearing white dress gloves.

"What is this?" Edward asked, opening the envelope. A few photographs and maps slid out of the envelope. Maps of a country Edward had never seen before, "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me, Fullmetal? It hasn't been that long has it?" A familiar voice said. The man looked at Edward with sharp black eyes.

"Colonel Mustang? What the hell are you doing in Creta? What the hell are you doing out of Central?"

"Shhh," the man said, "Not so loud Ed. There are a few Cretan MP's in here that wouldn't like it if they found out I was here. And it's General Mustang now."

"You really are a bastard, you know that right? No number of stars on your lapel is going to change that." Edward laughed. Mustang forced a slight grin.

"Enough with the flattery, Fullmetal. The reason I came to Creta is this," he motioned to the envelope in Edward's hands, "Pelopos, a country southwest of here. Several of our State Alchemists have-"

"Wait, Havoc sent me all the way here just so you could give me a mission? I don't know if you knew this, but I don't work for the military anymore!" Edward shouted.

"Jeez, Ed, cool it with the military talk, we don't want anyone getting any ideas. And if you'd let me finish, I was going to tell you a little secret. But, since you seem so hell-bent on ignoring me," Mustang smirked.

"Alright. I see. I do something for you, and you tell me something I need to know. Typical equivalency, and typical Mustang." Edward muttered. Mustang smiled and handed Edward three photographs of people dressed in military uniforms.

"These are three State Alchemists who were traveling from Amestris to Epult, as country south of Pelopos, by train. Their train was attacked and every passenger on board was killed, except these three. We assume that they have been captured by a group of terrorists who call themselves The Freedom. The people missing are this man," Mustang pointed to the first picture of a young man with sandy blonde hair and dark green eyes. He was winking at the camera.

"This is Shea Widow, The Hurricane Alchemist. He was one of our most gifted prodigies. This was his transmutation circle." Mustang produced a small coin, and Amestrian cen, marked with an intricate pattern of circles on the front, and the symbol of the Amestrian Military on the reverse.  
>"A coin? I've never seen this kind of circle before. How did you get this anyway?"<p>

"We sent a clean up crew to the accident, this was all the found. Shea made it by himself. I told you, the kid was a prodigy." He pointed to the second picture. This man was older, his hair was graying, and the skin around his closed eyes was wrinkled from years of smiling.

"That man is Christian Fairey. He was a very close friend of mine, from Ishval. He was known as the Mirror Alchemist. And finally, this is Reggina Macchi. This deployment in Epult was her first assignment. So now, I'm asking you to track them down."

"Why don't you just send in some military dogs to sniff them out? Why come to me first? You know I can't even use alchemy anymore. I don't want anything to do with the military anyway."

"The Pelopos Government has a list of all currently enlisted State Alchemists. We're not sure how they got this list, but they don't know your face Ed. All I'm asking is for you to find them. You don't need to break them out or anything, just locate them, and give them this." Mustang handed Edward a letter, sealed with wax, stamped with a salamander.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, I want you to escort Edward to train station." Roy said to seemingly no one. The woman who had passed him by earlier had returned holding a drink. Edward was puzzled that he didn't identify the woman as Hawkeye sooner. Was he losing it? She stood by Edward.

"Any objections?" Mustang asked, knowing that Edward had several objections.

"I'm not doing some under-the-table military job. I'll be able to find my own way around this city." Edward began to stand up, but Hawkeye stopped him.

"Alright Ed, I didn't want to have to do this, but I _must _insist that you take my offer, or it will be very, very difficult to 'find your way around'." Mustang said without the slightest difference. Edward's fist clenched.

"Are you threatening me, Mustang?"

"Yes."

Edward tried very hard to resist punching Mustang in the face. It was exactly the kind of thing he had expected General Mustang to say, but even he couldn't believe that Mustang had the audacity to actually say it. Edward lowered his head and sighed. He said goodbye to Mustang, paid for a drink, and followed Hawkeye out of the tavern. They walked for a while, till the pair reached a car parked on the side of the road. As Edward climbed into the car, he asked Hawkeye something he had noticed earlier.

"Lieutenant, are you wearing perfume?" Edward said as innocently as he could. Lieutenant Hawkeye said nothing. She started the car and the pair drove in silence for a few minutes. Edward sat staring out the window at the passing stone buildings and dark glass windows. After a while, Hawkeye spoke.

"Yes. I'm glad you noticed. Someone still can't take the hint though. Honestly, I don't know if General Mustang has ever even thought of asking me out on a date." Ed looked a little surprised.

"I'm sure that's not true," he said. Even as he said that, the words of consolation felt foreign in his mouth.

"We're here Ed, it's been good seeing you again." The lieutenant smiled. Ed returned the smile and exited the car, once again stepping on a train bound for who knows where. He looked at the map Mustang had given him. It was worn and tattered at the edges. The hand-drawn borders were crisscrossed with thin black and red lines, and the green meadows were dotted with clusters of x's and o's. How Ed was to make any sense of it was beyond him.

A whistle blew as a black steam train pulled into the station. Clouds billowed from beneath the train is it screeched to a halt. Ed presented his ticket to the conductor, climbed aboard and closed his eyes. He drifted to sleep as the wheels of the train lurched forward.

"Well Major, you have successfully severed any ties I had with my only sister, shot at my grandmother, and let Edward Elric escape yet again. Are you _trying _to disappoint me Kennedy?"

"Sir, I-"

"No Kennedy. I don't want any excuses. You're going back to command. You're off this assignment. Take Pollox back to the station. Both of you are leaving." General Rockbell said without the slightest hint of sympathy.

"Sir, surely you don't plan on pursuing Elric by yourself?" he said stealing a glance at Pollox. He was seated on a bench behind the General. They stood in the crowded platform of the Doltan train station in Creta. General Rockbell had changed out of her dress and into civilian clothes, but Kennedy and Pollox remained in their uncomfortable suits, on the General's orders.

"I think I'm more than capable of handling myself against Elric. Besides, I don't want an incompetent and a blowhard mucking up my plans. Now get out of my sight before I do something I'll regret." Kennedy looked at Pollox as he rose and walked away towards the train bound for Central City. The pair stopped in front of the row of train cars.

"Well Pollox, how does this work into our plan?" Kennedy asked.

"Hmph," the colonel laughed, "She's given us a wonderful opportunity to do some digging on her back at command. This is where we split up, Major. I'll go to back to command, and you'll go to the Central Library and find anything you can on General Rockbell. Then, report back to me when you're done. Understood?" Kennedy gave a nod. He climbed aboard the train, sat down and lit a cigarette.

Meanwhile, General Rockbell weaved her way through a crowd of Amestrian tourists and emerged in front of a train bound for Pelopos. She had heard of Pelopos in a briefing Mustang had given her once, something about missing alchemists and terrorists. Before she could give it any more thought, she saw a boy, no more than eighteen, climb aboard the train. As he turned to the conductor to hand him his ticket, his eye's met hers. He looked surprised, and she knew that she was looking into the golden eyes of Edward Elric. General Rockbell sprinted towards the train that Elric had boarded. It was quickly pulling away from the platform as she flashed her pocket watch and hopped in the last train car.

Inside, she calmly walked through the dinning car, to the sleeper cars, to the passenger cars. She combed the row of heads till she saw the long blonde ponytail peeking out from under a traveller's hat. The boy looked startled as she sat down across from him and spoke.

"Edward Elric, I have a warrant for your arrest. By the authority of the Amestrian Military, you're coming with me?" Edward looked un-phased.

"You're not Winry, but you look just like her. Who are you?" he asked.

"You're not asking the questions here kid. I am. Now are you or are you not Edward Elric?" She asked. She looked into his eyes.

"Who's asking?" he replied with a snide grin.

"Lieutenant General Rockbell, of the Amestrian military. Now you have about five seconds before I detain you without questioning."

"Rockbell? You're related to Winry… But you look much older than her. She doesn't have any siblings, does she?"

"I'm losing my patience with you kid. Answer my damn question!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm Edward Elric. What am I under arrest for?"

"Well, someone with long blonde hair, white gloves, and a red coat was seen destroying a military hospital, burning an oil refinery, and blowing up munitions depots, just to name a few things. Do you know anyone who fits that description?"

"I suppose if I put on a red coat, that would be me. But I've been in Creta for the past few days. I'm sure Winry told you that."

"How did you know I talked to Winry?" she asked. Delilah hadn't been around the Elric kid long, but she could tell that this wasn't going to be pleasant encounter.

"She called me after you left. She said you were going to arrest me. But, back to my question, how are you related to Winry? Are you her sister?"

"Yes. Now please Elric, just answer my questions. If you weren't in North City, then who is responsible? You're trying to tell me that you have a doppelgänger or something?"

"Well, I suppose that a doppelgänger is the only likely solution," Edward said.

"Don't give me any sass Elric. I'm a military officer. You are a civilian. You listen to me. Do you know anyone that might want to incriminate you?" she replied. Edward leaned on his hand and looked out the window.

"Well, no one comes to mind immediately, but I'm sure that there's a very long list of people I've met that may want harm done to me. I'm guessing you're starting to get to that point yourself." He said as if he had already figured her out.

"Well Elric, there's not a whole lot of people that I hate in this world, but you _are _slowly climbing that list with each insubordinate remark you make. In fact, you've just passed your own father on my list."

"Wait. You knew Hoenheim?"

"You could say he's the one that first peaked my interests in Alchemy. I caught him using it once. I sort of forced him to teach me."

"So you're an alchemist, huh?" Edward said. He folded his hands and stared out the window.  
>"What made you put him on your hate list?"<p>

"Well, I don't usually give my captives my life story, but sometimes I feel that I'd be better off having not made Hoenheim teach me Alchemy." She said. Edward hadn't expected her to say something like that. He knew how it felt.

"I served in Ishval, Elric, alongside your friend Mustang. I saw some truly awful things, and I-"

"Let's set one thing straight here. I am_ not _friends with Roy Mustang."

"Alright Elric. Cut the crap. I want a straight answer out of you. Now. If you didn't blow up our oil refinery, then that means that someone else, who looks exactly like you, and could transmute without a circle, did. Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"I do, sir." A voice from behind them said. General Rockbell turned to see a large man who had crammed himself into a suit several sizes too small. She recognized his smooth voice and a single curl of blonde hair sprouted from his otherwise bald head.

"Colonel Armstrong. How long have you been sitting there?" General Rockbell asked over her shoulder. The Colonel turned around in his seat and saluted. General Rockbell waived him off.

"Everything Elric says is true. I've been following him since he left Central." Armstrong replied meekly. Edward's eyebrows rose at the massive Colonel's cowardice towards Winry's sister.

"Well," Edward smirked, "It's good to see that Mustang and Grumman place a lot of faith in me. And," he added, "Congrats on the promotion Colonel."

"Thank you Edward!" Armstrong said as tears rushed from his eyes like bulls on parade. As Armstrong prepared to tear his shirt off, a loud thud echoed in the train car. The train shuddered to a halt, and the doors to the car opened slowly. Three men, brandishing jury-rigged firearms entered. Edward spun around quickly, while General Rockbell remained in her seat. The men approached the trio's table. The first man, covering his face in a bandana, pointed his gun at Delilah and barked. "Get up! We know who you three are! Don't do anything stupid or I'll blow your brains out!"

"Well!" The second man barked as he snatched an elderly woman's purse.

"Put your guns down." The general replied coolly, "If you know who we are, and intend to kidnap us, then you wouldn't shoot us, even if we did do something stupid."

The shoved the barrel of his weapon in the General's face.

"Does this look like we won't shoot-" the man faltered.

Edward looked down at the man's stomach. A three-foot long icicle had been forcefully stabbed into his gut. Edward followed the trail of ice back to a glass of water on the table in front of Delilah. The man slouched over, bleeding to death in front of Edward and Armstrong. The icicle shattered and fell to the ground, and quickly melted into water. The other two men looked in horror as the water reformed into two spear tipped ice spikes. In a little over 10 seconds, the three men were dead, with large stab wounds in their lower abdomen.

"How did you-" Edward and Armstrong said in unison.

"Don't worry about that now, we have to get off this train before more show up!" Delilah dashed out of the car and out into the grassy field the train had stopped in. She halted almost immediately and held up a clenched fist. Edward and Armstrong stopped remained in the car.

Outside the car, General Rockbell had walked right into a massive police barricade. Armed soldiers dressed in plain brown uniforms pointed high-powered rifles at the Delilah.

"Put your hands on your head, you filthy Alchemist!" one of the men barked. Ed stared wide-eyed as the General placed her hands on her head and knelt to the ground. She glanced back at Armstrong and Ed. She blinked three times, and winked once to Armstrong. He understood.

"Edward," he whispered quietly, "We should go back inside. General Rockbell-"

"Like Hell! I wasn't done talking to her!" Edward said as he leapt from his hiding spot. Armstrong reached for him, but he was too late. Edward charged headlong at the first person he could. He didn't get far before he was clubbed by the solid oak butt of a soldier's rifle.

"Elric you idiot-" General Rockbell tried to say as she was also clubbed by a rifle. Armstrong watched as the two were loaded into a car and driven away. He made his way to the train's telephone and opened a line to Roy Mustang.


End file.
